Rs. 8m collected from raids in Amparai, Kalmunai - CEB

The Ministry of Power and Energy stated that in raids conducted over 3 days in the Amparai and Kalmunai areas they were able to generate over Rs. 80 Lakhs in revenue.

While 138 incidents of power pirating was reported during the raids from the 10th to the 12th of this month, 97 incidents were of meter alteration, while the balance 41 were identified as power being obtained illegally using hooks. In these raids Rs. 1,380,000.00 were from court fines, and 6,535,889.28 as losses to the CEB due to power piracy bringing the total to 7,915,889.28.

The Minister of Power and Energy Patali Champika Ranawaka stated that in order to maintain the current progress of the CEB, from the state of utter financial ruin over the past several years, this form of power piracy should be curtailed.

Therefore since the illegal tampering of electricity meters and using of hooks to obtain power illegally causes huge losses to the CEB, The Minister instructed the relevant teams to tighten the laws to enable those responsible to be brought to justice.

The Ministry of Power and Energy further emphasized that it is a national duty of all to report such fraudulent acts to the telephone number 1987, where power pirating may be taking place, might it be in homes, industries and or commercial establishments.